Oscar Shortlist Interviews: Director Tod Polson Shares His Favorite Shot From ‘The 21’ (Exclusive)
Cartoon Brew invited the filmmakers behind each of this year’s 15 Oscar-shortlisted animated shorts to share their favorite shot from their film and explain why it’s special to them. The pieces are being published in the order that materials were received.
In this piece, we’re looking at The 21 from director Tod Polson.
A short film honoring the 21 Coptic men murdered by ISIS in Libya in 2015, The 21 is crafted in the style of Coptic iconography by a global team of more than 70 artists from more than 24 countries. Mixing live-action footage with animation, the film serves as a powerful tribute to the martyrs and a vibrant message against obscurantism.
Polson recently spoke with Cartoon Brew about the making of this powerful short. Below, he shares his favorite shot from the short and why it’s significant to him:
There is a lot of traditional symbolism in this shot from The 21. The shot depicts a funeral march, as the men march along the “nave” (the central aisle of a church) of the beach. Light streams through stained glass clouds, illuminating the scene. It is meant to feel like a holy space. Birds, often found flying freely through Coptic churches, signify God’s care for even the smallest creatures, and the sea reflects God’s control over chaos. In ancient Egypt, boats represented the journey to the afterlife. To Coptic Christians boats represent salvation.
Read the other entries in the series:
